Manage windows and panels

You can create a custom workspace by moving and manipulating Document windows and panels. You can also save workspaces and switch among them.

Rearrange, dock, or float document
windows

When you
open more than one file, the Document windows are tabbed.

To rearrange tabbed Document windows, drag a window’s tab to a new location in the group.

To undock (float or untab) a Document window from a group of windows, drag the window’s tab out of the group.

To dock a Document window to a separate group of Document windows, drag the window into the group.

To create groups of stacked or tiled documents, drag the window to one of the drop zones along the top, bottom, or sides of another window. You can also select a layout for the group by using the Layout button on the Application bar.

To switch to another document in a tabbed group when dragging a selection, drag the selection over the document’s tab for a moment.

Dock and undock panels

A dock is
a collection of panels or panel groups displayed together, generally
in a vertical orientation. You dock and undock panels by moving
them into and out of a dock.

To dock a panel, drag it by its tab into the dock, at
the top, bottom, or in between other panels.

To dock a panel group, drag it by its title bar (the solid
empty bar above the tabs) into the dock.

To remove a panel or panel group, drag it out of the dock
by its tab or title bar. You can drag it into another dock or make
it free-floating.

Navigator panel being dragged out to new dock, indicated by
blue vertical highlight

Navigator panel now in its own dock

Note:

You can prevent panels from filling all the space
in a dock. Drag the bottom edge of the dock up so it no longer meets
the edge of the workspace.

Move panels

As you move
panels, you see blue highlighted drop zones, areas
where you can move the panel. For example, you can move a panel
up or down in a dock by dragging it to the narrow blue drop zone
above or below another panel. If you drag to an area that is not
a drop zone, the panel floats freely in the workspace.

Note:

The position of the mouse (rather than the position of the
panel), activates the drop zone, so if you can’t see the drop zone,
try dragging the mouse to the place where the drop zone should be.

To move a panel, drag it by its tab.

To move a panel group, drag the title bar.

Narrow blue drop zone indicates Swatches panel will be docked
on its own above the Color panel group.

A. Title bar B. Tab C. Drop zone

Note:

Press Ctrl (Windows) or Command (Mac OS)
while moving a panel to prevent it from docking. Press Esc while
moving the panel to cancel the operation.

Add and remove panels

If you remove all panels from a dock, the dock disappears.
You can create a dock by moving panels to the right edge of the
workspace until a drop zone appears.

To remove a panel, right-click (Windows) or Control-click
(Mac) its tab and then select Close, or deselect it from the Window
menu.

To add a panel, select it from the Window menu and dock it
wherever you want.

Manipulate panel groups

To move a panel into a group, drag the panel’s tab to the highlighted drop zone in the group.

Adding a panel to a panel group

To rearrange panels in a group, drag a panel’s tab to a new location in the group.

To remove a panel from a group so that it floats freely, drag the panel by its tab outside the group.

To move a group, drag the title bar (the area above the tabs).

Stack floating panels

When you
drag a panel out of its dock but not into a drop zone, the panel
floats freely. The floating panel allows you to position it anywhere
in the workspace. You can stack floating panels or panel groups
so that they move as a unit when you drag the topmost title bar.

Free-floating stacked panels

To stack floating panels, drag a panel by its tab to the drop zone at the bottom of another panel.

To change the stacking order, drag a panel up or down by its tab.

Note: Be sure to release the tab over the narrow drop zone between panels, rather than the broad drop zone in a title bar.

To remove a panel or panel group from the stack, so that it floats by itself, drag it out by its tab or title bar.

Resize panels

To minimize or maximize a panel, panel group, or
stack of panels, double-click a tab. You can also double-click the
tab area (the empty space next to the tabs).

To resize a panel, drag any side of the panel. Some panels,
such as the Color panel in Photoshop, cannot be resized by dragging.

Collapse and expand panel icons

You can collapse panels to icons to reduce
clutter on the workspace. In some cases, panels are collapsed to
icons in the default workspace.

Panels collapsed to icons

Panels expanded from icons

To collapse or expand all panel icons in a column, click the double arrow at the top of the dock.

To expand a single panel icon, click it.

To resize panel icons so that you see only the icons (and not the labels), adjust the width of the dock until the text disappears. To display the icon text again, make the dock wider.

To collapse an expanded panel back to its icon, click its tab, its icon, or the double arrow in the panel’s title bar.

To add a floating panel or panel group to an icon dock, drag it in by its tab or title bar. (Panels are automatically collapsed to icons when added to an icon dock.)

To move a panel icon (or panel icon group), drag the icon. You can drag panel icons up and down in the dock, into other docks (where they appear in the panel style of that dock), or outside the dock (where they appear as floating icons).

Use panel menus

Access the panel menus using the icon
on the upper-right corner of the panel.

Panel menu (Symbols panel)

Set UI color

You can customize the interface to sport one of following available color options: Dark, Medium Dark, Medium Light, and Light.

Save and switch workspaces

By
saving the current size and position of panels as a named workspace,
you can restore that workspace even if you move or close a panel.
The names of saved workspaces appear in the workspace switcher in
the Application bar.

Save a custom workspace

Choose Window > Workspace > Save Workspace.

Type a name for the workspace.

Display or switch workspaces

Select a workspace from the workspace switcher
in the Application bar.